After Oz
by MaplePucks
Summary: Glinda reunites with Elphaba after nearly twenty years since her watery demise at Kiamo Ko. *Spoiler for Out of Oz, fluff/angst*


**Hello all!  
I am a huge fan of Wicked, the first book in the series and the musical. Son of a Witch is really good too. This story is based on Out of Oz, the last in the Wicked Years. I'll keep my opinions to myself but I can tell you it's my least favorite in the series. **

**Spoilers in this one for Glinda's ending in the book.**

 **Comments are wonderful!**

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As Lady Glinda smiled at her womanly caller to her cell in Southstairs, she pushed herself warily up off her cot. Every bone in her elderly frame creaked and groaned in protest, screaming at her to stop moving. Her blood seemed too thick for her veins and her once vibrant blond hair covered her face like a silver curtain. A year in prison had not been kind to her.

But a strange thing happened as she lifted her body. Her ailments seemed to ease. Every inch up made her feel more youthful, her skin was tightening, a certain attractive tautness returning to her midsection. She felt the lines on her face stretch and pull back, smoothing the weathered skin. The curls and artificial color she had made her famous look came back to her hair.

By the time she stood up to greet her friend, she was as youthful as the day she first laid foot in Shiz. She clicked her heels and marveled over her transformation before walking over to the green skinned girl.

Elphaba looked not a day over Shiz as well, her skin vibrant and soft to Glinda's touch. Of course she was in her usual black, drab dress but Glinda had never seen it look so good on her. It brought tears to her eyes and she touched Elphaba on her face and arms, making sure she was solid underneath her finger tips. It had been too long since she had seen her friend. Far too long.

"You wicked thing," She repeated, trying to keep her tears down. They were happy tears but Elphie had always shied away from them, her aversion to water went that deep. "Where...where have you been all this time? Making me worry. Making everyone think you were dead. Naughty naughty witchie." She said, babbling. Elphaba sighed.

"Glinda, I am gone. I've been gone for some twenty years, you know that. I wasn't fooling anyone. I've never been one for practical jokes." She replied, pulling her in closer, much to Glinda's surprise. She laid her head on Elphaba's shoulder, clutching her dress.

"Then how are you here? How can I feel you? It was all a bad dream. Our whole lives, weren't they? We are still in Shiz, none of it happened..." Glinda whispered. She could feel Elphaba's breast pressed against hers and could feel her heart thumping away. Her own was wildly fluttering while Elphaba's was as steady as it had always been. There was no way it had ever stopped beating, or melted away as the rumors suggested.

Elphaba Thropp was standing right before her solid as ever.

To her continued surprise, Elphaba pulled away and frowned. "I've always had to do your thinking for you, I would have hoped by now you would have learned to fair without me." She commented before turning Glinda around. Laying on the cot where she had just been was...her. Her old self, still, breathless. Lifeless. Dead. Glinda grew wide eyed and turned back to Elphaba who nodded, "And now, I think it's time we go. You didn't belong in here, I'm sorry you died here. We met a similar ending, didn't we?" She asked, taking Glinda's hand. Glinda was unsure what she meant by that but she nodded all the same.

The blond followed her, a little too stunned for words. She was dead? Former Throne Minister Lady Glinda was dead in a cell in Southstairs? She looked around. Why was no one running to her aid? Had no one noticed? How long before they did? Hour? Two? Heaven forbid a day before someone came to check. Sometimes, they did forget to bring her food around. She furrowed her brow as they walked away.

And as they walked, the world around Glinda changed. Southstairs melted away with each step, replaced slowly with a large circular room high in a castle. To Glinda, it looked exactly like the kind of place Elphaba would frequent. There was a green glass ball on one table, some cloths and a cot. But Glinda's eye was instantly drawn to a solitary bucket in the center of the room. It was tipped over and a disgusting green water like substance oozed from it.

"What I mean," Elphaba started as if there hadn't been a change of scenery or a long pause in conversation. "Is that we both died locked away from the world. I think, you at least were meant for better. You should have died at Mockbeggar Hall, with people surrounding you. I died here, with no one but that pestilent little girl. My murderer on the Wizard's command. I suppose I deserved that in the end, for all that I did to you and Fiyero..." She said, looking down as if she was ashamed.

Glinda couldn't pretend to understand all that was happen but she took Elphaba into her arms anyway and lead her over to the cot. They sat down and Glinda held Elphaba's hand tightly.

"Where are we, Elphie?"

"Kiamo Ko."

"Where?"

Elphaba sighed, "My prison." She replied simply before elaborating. "I came to Kiamo Ko for forgiveness, from Sarima, Fiyero's wife. But she wouldn't give me forgiveness for getting Fiyero killed. She wouldn't hear me out. So I locked myself away in this tower, I think in the end I finally went as insane as people had always claimed I was. I sewed wings onto monkey's, talk them to talk...then Ness died..." She flinched at the memory and Glinda rubbed her back.

"Oh Elphie, dear I-"

"I was horrid to you, the last time we met. I accused you of terrible things, of being a political dud. Before that girl was trekking my way, I thought about coming back to you. To apologize, but I never made it. I died with the thought you hated me, like everyone else." She went on, wringing her hands together.

"Elphie, please, calm down, I've never seen you like this, I-"

Elphaba put her head into her hand. "I came to you now, though it's too late in our mortal lives, to ask you for forgiveness for the things I've blamed you for. Please Glinda, I want to move on, to go to the next plain. I can't do it until I get your forgiveness and find Sarima for hers. I don't know if I'll ever get it. And Fiyero, I have to find him as well. I-I waited for you-"

She was silenced when Glinda put her lips to hers, kissing her tenderly but deeply. A kiss she had waited for just as Elphaba had waited for her. Elphaba didn't pull away, she kept her hold and kissed back. It was a soft, kiss that melted Glinda ten times more then kissing her husband had ever made her.

When they did finally pull apart, Glinda smiled and tucked Elphaba's hair behind her ear, "My goodness! I have never heard you talk that much before! What happened to you being the strong silent type? You know, that was honestly very attractive." She received a look from Elphaba that might have curled the green water in the bucket and she laughed, "Oh dear, don't look so serious! Everything is going to be ok! We are together, finally, and we can stay that way through everything-"

"I need you to say it." Elphaba stated plainly, cutting her off yet again. Glinda slapped her wrist lightly in reprimand, shaking her head.

"Dearie, stop cutting me off, I was having a moment!" She huffed but with a smile and flip of her hair. Always the playful girl. But she looked to Elphaba curiously. "Say what, Elphie?"

"That you forgive me, you have to actually say it to me. I need to hear it, Glinda." She said, looking at her seriously, with those lovely big eyes that she had.

Glinda thought for a few moments and felt Elphaba shift uncomfortably beside her. She wanted forgiveness? For somethings she had said while she was grieving over her sister being dead? It had been understandable, Glinda had spent her whole life going over those last few moments she and Elphaba ever shared together. There was nothing to forgive, and besides, none of it mattered anyway. Both of them were above that now.

But, Elphaba wasn't one to take no for an answer.

"Was I the last person you need forgiveness from? In you line of wrongdoings, was I the last you offended?" She asked resolutely. Confusion played across Elphaba's face and she nodded.

"Yes, you were the last. I don't see why that-"

It was Glinda's turn to cut her off. "Then I am the last you can earn forgiveness from. I will help you find Fiyero and this Sarima woman but I will not give you my forgiveness until then." She said and held up her hand to fend off protests from the green skinned girl. "That is final, Elphie. You are stuck with me until then, you will not leave me alone again, do you hear me?" She asked.

Finally, belatedly, Elphaba started to laugh, heartily, her head bobbing up and down with it. They were quiet hysterics but it was stress relieving all the same. Glinda was happy to see that.

"You've finally learn to think on your own. Alright, thank you, Glinda. Thank you." She said once she was able to talk through her laughter. That earned her another kiss and Glinda laid her back on the bed, wrapping her arms around her tightly, burying her head into Elphaba's neck.

"Do you remember that night on the way to Emerald City, all those years ago when we spent the night in those horrid lodgings?" She asked softly, placing kisses all over her partner's face.

"I remember, I never forgot that night, it was a bright spot in my otherwise dark life." She replied, moaning slightly at the affections peppered over her.

"I clung to you all night and..." She blushed with tears falling from her eyes. She didn't have time to move away before they hit Elphaba's cheek but to her shock, the woman didn't flinch or move away at all. She reached up to wipe a tear from her face. Elphaba was no longer scared of water. "A-and I've been waiting for you to hold me again." She said, happy and overcome with the surrealness of the moment.

"Glinda, I'll hold you close. For good now."

Another kiss and they melted into one another.


End file.
